Raúl Jiménez did not hold back after Mexico’s scoreless draw with Uruguay, calling out the Torreón crowd for repeatedly booing goalkeeper Raúl “Tala” Rangel and the rest of the squad. The Fulham striker said the atmosphere left the team “sad,” underscoring the growing disconnect between El Tri and its supporters.
Ruben Amorim has put some credit in the bank in recent weeks, having overseen an upturn in performances and results at the Manchester United helm.
But the Red Devils’ three-match winning run in the Premier League was halted on Saturday’s draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. It was a creditable result, even if the performance left plenty to be desired.
Negativity has hung over Old Trafford like a brooding cloud for far too long, but Amorim will sense the first signs of a shift, with his side not only more fluent as a unit but demonstrably stronger from a mental standpoint too.
While impactful additions like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have helped refashion the outfit’s attack, they have been joined by a number of players, finding form after such bleak and low-ebb efforts last year.
Cunha and Mbeumo are difference-makers, but no one has personified Manchester United’s budding resurgence under Amorim quite like Amad Diallo.
Amad salvaged a draw in that 2-2 battle at Forest last weekend, with that late volley salvaging a result and easing his own frustrations at being beaten by Morgan Gibbs-White in the air after the break. There it was that Casemiro’s first-half goal was cancelled out.
The Ivorian is a nifty little playmaker, with quick feet and an eye for goal that requires only a glance back at the weekend for proof, that strike very much pressed firmly in fans’ minds.
But his reshaped role as a wing-back has come at the expense of attacking freedom. Amad is not a natural defender, but neither is he a lost cause when against the ball. He works well on the flank of that line, adding to a defence that still searches for its final form.
But it’s getting there. Harry Maguire did not play against the Tricky Trees, but he has proven himself to be an important player this term. Likewise, Matthjis de Ligt is starting to come into his own after previously toiling through his first campaign in England.
And Casemiro’s strike to open the scoring underscored once again his own revival. Jamie Carragher’s acerbic comments have fallen flat, with the Brazilian now something of a linchpin in the centre for a side that has proven unable to find answers in the engine room.
But there’s an even bigger turnaround taking place at the Theatre of Dreams. Yes, one of United’s longest-serving stars appears to have found his finest form in some time.
Manchester United have been through a lot over the past 12 years. Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement was always going to knock Old Trafford out of kilter, but no one expected the club to have fallen from their perch as they have.
A trophy-winning identity has been maintained throughout, but inconsistencies have been rife, and too many frustrating players have been signed, unable to find the form that their skillsets demand.
Chief among these cases would be that of Luke Shaw, who has come a long way in a short amount of time this year.
Not only enjoying a prolonged run of fitness, the England international is performing resolutely in a left-sided centre back berth, and that after playing as if he “didn’t want to tackle anyone” toward the start of the campaign, as was said by Roy Keane, who also declared the defender has been “getting away with murder for years”.
Undoubtedly, Shaw has been put through a career-long wringer in terms of fitness levels. He left Southampton and joined Man United for a fee in excess of £30m in 2014, and after more than 11 years of service, the 30-year-old has 297 games chalked off.
Many times, he has languished in the infirmary, never quite able to build up that natural athleticism and energy and technical ability to a point of recognition as one of the best left-backs in the world.
But, having started each of his side’s ten Premier League matches so far this season, there’s reason to be excited as Shaw continues to make headway. He is sharp and aware and robust in his defensive duties.
|
Luke Shaw vs Nottingham Forest |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
Goals conceded |
2 |
|
Touches |
85 |
|
Accurate passes |
65/74 (88%) |
|
Possession lost |
9x |
|
Dribbles |
1/1 |
|
Recoveries |
1 |
|
Tackles |
2/2 |
|
Interceptions |
3 |
|
Clearances |
1 |
|
Ground duels |
4/5 |
|
Aerial duels |
3/4 |
|
Data via Sofascore |
|
The point gained at Forest proved this. In isolation, it was a frustrating performance, not quite slick enough and disappointing to have conceded twice after the interval, having worked hard to take the advantage into the break.
But we are not talking in isolation here. United played with heart and understanding, and Shaw was at the centre of this, building upon months of work. The Manchester Evening News noted he ‘will play himself back into the England squad’ with a continuation of these performances.
Keane would be the first to rejoice at Shaw’s rejuvenation. There has been no vendetta against the experienced ace, but rather, a deep disappointment relating to the club’s struggles to kick on. Shaw has been at the epicentre of this, too often injured and too often out of sorts. But no longer. This is a player who has rediscovered his self-belief and the joy of wearing the United badge.
This Saturday’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur – in London – will mark the perfect chance to enter the November international break with a real sense of progress. Amorim, undoubtedly, will field Shaw in his starting line-up, with the defender’s composure and ease on the ball now blended with renewed defensive iron. He is undroppable at this moment in time.
As the early-season form at Man United will attest, there is a long road to walk before the Red Devils and Shaw can look back and nod at efforts well expended.
Silverware is needed, and stability in contention at the top of the table. Whether United will do it is anyone’s guess, but so far, so good.
Man Utd's "anonymous" flop is rapidly becoming a bigger problem than Dalot
Ruben Amorim has a job on his hands to put one Manchester United player on the right track.
By
Ethan Lamb
Nov 3, 2025
Ireland ended the day six down, still another 333 runs from the target with one day to go
Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2025Bangladesh are four wickets short of a series sweep against Ireland, on the day Taijul Islam overtook Shakib Al Hasan as the hosts’ highest wicket-taker. The visitors went to stumps on the fourth day on 176 for 6 in pursuit of an improbable 509, with Taijul having taken three wickets in the innings so far.Taijul took his 247th wicket to lead Bangladesh’s Test bowling charts when he trapped Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie lbw for 13 as the first wicket of the chase in the sixth over. Paul Stirling, the other opener, also fell to Taijul, caught at short leg where Mahmudul Hasan Joy took a simple catch. Hasan Murad trapped Cade Carmichael for 19 in the 20th over and Ireland were 77 for 3 just before tea.Mushfiqur’s memorable 100th Test•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Harry Tector struck three fours off Taijul after the break and brought up his fifty off 78 balls but he handed a catch to Mushfiqur Rahim, who ran in from the deep. Three overs later, Khaled Mahmud had Lorcan Tucker, who was unbeaten on 75 in the first innings, edge one behind for 7 and Ireland were in trouble at 127 for 5.Bangladesh then went on to drop Stephen Doheny three times, leaving the small crowd in Mirpur frustrated. Murad first dropped him at short midwicket on 2 before wicketkeeper Litton Das couldn’t latch on to a sharp chance when Doheny was on 13. Ebadot Hossain also put down a chance when he couldn’t hold on to a catch running in from deep square leg when Doheny was on 14. Taijul finally removed him on 15, when he missed an arm ball.Earlier, Mominul Haque’s dismissal on 87 led to Bangladesh’s declaration shortly after the lunch break on 297 for 4. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 53, having already struck a century in the first innings.Mominul struck 10 fours in his 118-ball knock, as he continued to look for a century since Kanpur last year. The openers Shadman Islam and Mahmudul also struck fifties, as they added 119 runs and Mahmudul had fallen on the third evening for 60. Shadman’s was the first wicket to fall on the fourth morning when he was lbw to Andy McBrine for 78 and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto who handed a catch to gully for Jordan Neill’s first Test wicket. Mushfiqur joined Mominul and the duo put on a brisk century stand of 123 from 167 balls to power the lead past 500.
The Tigers' slide heading into the end of the regular season has made manager A.J. Hinch's job a bit tricky.
They snapped an eight-game skid Thursday with a win over the Guardians in their series finale in Cleveland where the AL Central lead officially changed hands. With the 4-2 win Thursday, the Tigers evened things back up in the division with Cleveland, although the Guardians hold the tiebreaker.
Detroit's final regular-season series began Friday against the Red Sox against Fenway Park. They can clinch a playoff berth with a win and an Astros loss, but there's a chance that the Tigers can go into Sunday's finale still looking to get into the playoffs. If that comes to fruition, the good news for Detroit is their ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to pitch Sunday following his most recent start Tuesday in Cleveland.
If Detroit's season is on the line, there's certainly nobody else they'd rather have on the bump. However, if they are able to clinch before Sunday, Hinch can save Skubal for Game 1 of their three-game wild-card series. On Friday, Hinch left nothing up for debate on the plan for Skubal. He'll pitch Sunday if needed. If not, he'll be on the shelf for the playoffs.
"It’s pretty clear," the Tigers manager said Friday via 's Cody Stavenhagen. "If we need to get into the playoffs, we’re going to pitch Tarik. If we’ve clinched a playoff berth, then we won’t pitch him."
Hinch and the Tigers did schedule gymnastics last year during their magical run to the postseason to ensure they could have their ace available for critical moments while on optimal rest. Last year, Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award with an 18-4 record and a 2.39 ERA while striking out a league-high 228 batters. This season, he's the Cy Young Award frontrunner with a 13-6 record, 2.21 ERA and 241 punchouts.
It's not a surprising move to play Skubal's Sunday start by ear, but opponents can be certain they'll see the dominant lefthander when it matters most.
Maiden ODI century proves an apt retort after criticism of his previous comments in defeat
Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Sep-2024A look to the heavens before a puff of the cheeks. A “fookin’ ‘ellll” exhaled out the side of his mouth. Harry Brook’s reaction in the 34th over of England’s chase said it all. Who cares? He does.The relief flowed after his maiden ODI century, a feeling you could apply more broadly to the last week, his central part in it and the situation his team faced at the Seat Unique Riverside. After two humbling defeats, England were well on their way to winning this third ODI in Durham. And a cricketer who perhaps did not realise how sapping ODI captaincy could be – “I was actually knackered when I got out there after 50 overs in the field,” he said at the end – finally got to experience being the lesser stressed of the two leaders.There are caveats of course, though nothing to do with rain taking the players off in the 38th over of England’s pursuit of 305. Brook and Liam Livingstone had begun munching through what was left, and the 51 left on the table was set to be devoured in about half of the 74 balls left. They were 46 ahead on DLS at the break in play.Australia rested Travis Head, which lent itself to a subdued start – they struck just nine boundaries in the first 25 overs – before a late flurry shifted their total to 304 for 7. Adam Zampa’s illness robbed them of an X-factor, with the full-time ‘part-time’ offspin of Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short combining for three forgettable overs. A healthy amount of legspin would have broken up the monotony of seam that England managed easily through the middle overs as Brook and Will Jacks flourished having come together at 11 for 2. “It’s always a different team when Adam Zampa is not there,” Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald said after the match.Brook also won his third consecutive toss, and though that hadn’t helped at Trent Bridge or Headingley, conditions at Chester-le-Street were conducive to bowling up top. But it turned out to be the first of several correct calls in what turned out to be an accomplished day out for the 25-year-old.Brook admitted he’d found his early experience of the captaincy a bit ‘frantic’•Getty ImagesBefore he starred with the bat, Brook showed a decent amount of cunning in the field. Perhaps the best of it was using an unusually narrow and close mid-on to remove Cameron Green, breaking a stand of 84 with Steven Smith, who was essentially shielding the fielder – Matthew Potts – at the non-striker’s end as Jacob Bethell twirled his left-arm orthodox from around the wicket.”There wasn’t much turn and Beth was kind of just sliding it on,” Brook explained of the unusual placing. Granted, Green did not need to charge down and slap the ball straight to Potts – which Brook acknowledged in his own way. “It was a little bit of luck, to be honest, I’m not going to take the credit too much. But that’s nice to see, when you do make a change and it works straight away.”Another tweak saw the back of Marnus Labuschagne for a duck. The Australian No.5, keen to get off the mark while being denied options down the ground, attempted to find relief with a scoop off Jacks. A ricochet off his grille gave Jamie Smith a simple catch behind the stumps.Despite some sound marshalling of the attack – particularly Brydon Carse, who bowled better than figures of 1 for 55 suggest – things did unravel for Brook at the end of Australia’s innings. Alex Carey’s acceleration and Aaron Hardie’s introduction saw 104 scored off the last 10 overs, with a startling 55 coming from the last four. England looked a seamer light – specifically, an allrounder, and it was some comfort when their most exalted of that breed spent the interval telling Sky he would be more than willing to return when he is inevitably asked.Winning helps of course, but Brook regarded this as an altogether more comfortable outing as captain. “Progressively it’s got more enjoyable. The first game I felt a little bit frantic, at times. But as the series has gone on, I’ve felt a lot more chilled.”It certainly looked that way as far as his batting was concerned. A devastating unbeaten 110 – three figures brought up in just 87 deliveries – breaks a 16-innings streak without a century across all formats, domestic and international. There have been just two half-centuries – for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals and in the first innings of the first Sri Lanka Test – since his fifth Test hundred against West Indies at Trent Bridge in the middle of July, among eight other double-figure scores.Related
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There were some welcome hallmarks of the Brook that England fans have come to expect. He explained his success as a case of keeping his head “as still as possible”, watching the ball and playing it late – traits which, to be fair, were abundantly clear today. But there were also the characteristic impulsive streaks.The first time he used his feet was to carve Josh Hazlewood over backward point in the ninth over. He greeted the first deliveries of Maxwell and Short with lofted drives over extra cover, for four and six respectively.In Jacks, he had an ally willing to keep pace, and even sprint ahead. The pair tag-teamed Mitchell Starc in the 23rd over, handing the left-arm quick his third most expensive over in ODIs (19). By the time their stand was broken for 156 – Jacks slicing to point for 84 – the ask was a manageable 138 from 135 deliveries. Brook seemed intent to drive, cut and scoop his way through that figure, eventually having to make do with 40 of the 87 England hacked off before the rains came.”He’s an impressive player,” McDonald said. “He’s going to have a long career for England, and he’s going to give us some headaches along the journey.”You could call this a statement knock of sorts. Two-fold, perhaps. The first being that it gave Brook the chance to clarify comments made after the first ODI. “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field, then who cares?” was the utterance in question, leading to widespread derision from fans and pundits alike.”I think people took that a little bit the wrong way,” he said. “You’ve got to go out there and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares’ attitude. That’s not a ‘who cares if we lose attitude’ – we still want to win. But you don’t want to go out there and have that fear of getting out.”You could see what he meant at the time, but Tuesday’s knock – studded with 13 fours and two sixes – acts as a handy guide to make it crystal clear. This was Brook leading from the front, in a familiar sweet spot of showing just how much he cares through not caring the right way.
Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz is on a tear unlike anyone across Major League Baseball. And he's only 22 years old.
Kurtz's heater continued Friday night with an unbelievable four home run game against the Houston Astros. He became the 20th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game, and the first to ever do it as a rookie.
Here's every dinger he hit in the record-setting night:
He didn't just hit the long ball either. On the night, he finished a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with eight RBIs in addition to the four homers. Of the base knocks that didn't leave the park, he had a double and a single. The A's smashed the Astros 15-3 thanks to their rookie star's historic game.
Kurtz joined Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez as the only players in baseball to hit four homers in a game this season. Suárez accomplished the feat in April against the Atlanta Braves.
The massive night Friday continued what's been an incredibly hot stretch for Kurtz. He went 3-for-5 Thursday and last homered Monday against the Texas Rangers. Per the A's, he's leading the major leagues in nearly every batting stat over the month of July, including batting average, OPS, home runs and RBIs.
He now has 23 homers in his rookie season after the A's selected him with the No. 4 pick in last year's MLB draft. Now, he has achieved a big piece of MLB history in remarkable fashion.
Tottenham Hotspur have now submitted an enquiry to sign FC Barcelona defender Eric Garcia, with Thomas Frank personally an admirer.
Spurs lost their second game on the bounce on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at home against Chelsea, and the overall performance was extremely disappointing, recording an xG of just 0.10, their lowest total on record.
They would’ve lost by a greater margin too, if it hadn’t been for Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper putting in a top display, making seven saves from inside the box and preventing 2.17 goals.
Frank came out to defend two of his players after the match, saying: “We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated.”
Van de Ven has been particularly impressive, most notably scoring a brace in the 3-0 victory against Everton last month, but the manager is now looking to sign a new centre-back.
According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have been enquiring about a deal for Garcia for the past few months, with Frank viewing the defender as perfect for his system, given that he is able to play the ball out from the back.
Chelsea are also in the race for the Spaniard, but he is now set to put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona to extend his stay beyond 2026, which is news that has come as a shock for the interested Premier League clubs.
With the 24-year-old committed to his boyhood club, Spurs will have to move on to alternative options ahead of the January transfer window.
The north Londoners will no doubt be very disappointed to have seemingly missed out on the centre-back, given that Frank is personally an admirer, while he has also received very high praise from Xavi in the past.
The former Barcelona manager said: “Eric is extraordinary. I value him a lot, he is important to us. He plays in a very complicated position because, at Barca, a centre-back is always exposed. But he is a role model in the dressing room and we value him a lot.”
The 19-time Spain international has also performed very well over the past year, showcasing his passing, tackling and even goal-scoring ability on a regular basis.
|
Statistic |
Average per 90 |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.19 (99th percentile) |
|
Passes attempted |
83.24 (97th percentile) |
|
Progressive passes |
6.99 (98th percentile) |
|
Tackles |
2.16 (91st percentile) |
A move for Garcia may well be off the cards, but other exciting options remain on the shortlist, with it emerging they are now serious contenders to sign Lazio defender Mario Gila in January, while they already have a highly-rated young centre-back they could call upon.
Bigger talent than VDV: Spurs have "one of the most exciting teenage CBs"
Tottenham Hotspur already have a top-level player on their hands despite Micky Van de Ven’s recent form.
By
Ethan Lamb
Oct 29, 2025
Pat Cummins was left to reflect on one of the worst performances on home soil in recent memory
Alex Malcolm25-Nov-2024Pat Cummins has backed Marnus Labuschagne to bounce back from his opening-Test horrors, indicating that Australia are unlikely to make any changes for Adelaide despite an overwhelming 295-run defeat against India in Perth.Labuschagne has come under intense scrutiny following the defeat given his recent form in Test cricket. He has averaged just 13.66 across his last 10 Test innings, which does include a nine-month gap where he played county cricket, Sheffield Shield cricket and ODI cricket. His scores across those innings read: 10, 1*, 3, 5, 1, 2, 90, 6, 2, and 3.Related
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His two innings in Perth were particularly harrowing. In the first he was dropped second ball when he nicked Jasprit Bumrah to second slip. Having had issues edging deliveries in his most recent Test outings, as well as the recent ODI series against Pakistan, he then completely shut up shop and faced 51 balls for just two runs before being pinned lbw by Mohammed Siraj on his 52nd.In the second innings, it was Bumrah who trapped him, as he tried to shoulder arms to an inswinger that was smashing off stump late in the day.While India will play a two-day pink-ball game in Canberra against the Prime Minister’s XI next weekend, Australia’s players will fly home and train on their own for the remainder of this week. They will not play any club cricket in their home states, as is the norm, but they have decided to head to Adelaide a day earlier than originally planned.”Marn along with quite a few guys in the team didn’t have the week we would have wanted,” Cummins said after the loss inside four days. “It’s no secret how hard the batters, particularly Marn works in the nets. He’s always trying to find those small marginal gains. This week will be a lot of conversation with the coaches around his approach and what he could be doing differently.
“We know he’s a class player, him at his best is one of the scariest propositions for opposition bowlers to bowl at. We’ll get to Adelaide a little bit earlier and maybe do an extra day or two prep leading into that second Test. He’s done it before over there, he’s got a very good pink-ball record, so I always think looking back at past successes when you were at your best is always a pretty good way to get yourself back on track.”This is a sample size of one. Four or five days ago we thought this was our best XI. So I dare say there won’t be many changes going into Adelaide, but I’m not a selector. I’m sure they’ll get together after the game. We’ve got a bit of work to do over the next 10 days.”It could lead to a remarkable scenario in Adelaide, where the victors in Perth make more changes than the side that was thumped. India will welcome back skipper Rohit Sharma from paternity leave while Shubman Gill will also be pushing to be fit. Australia could back in the same XI despite the margin of the defeat.
You sit in the changeroom after a loss like that, and it hurts When a team declares on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations beforePat Cummins
Labuschagne isn’t the only concern among the batting unit. Steven Smith returned scores of 0 and 17 in Perth, albeit he looked in better shape in the second innings before nicking an excellent delivery from Siraj. But like Labuschagne his recent returns have been poor. He averages just 23.50 over his last 10 Test innings which includes a 91 not out when he was opening. He has only passed 17 in two of those innings.Nathan McSweeney was dismissed for 10 and 0 on debut, trapped lbw twice by Bumrah in what was a daunting baptism. He was unfortunate to receive a ball that kept a little low in the second innings while batting in the fading light after fielding for 134 overs. But his first-class record batting at Nos.1-3 has dropped to 26.94 after just his third and fourth innings opening the batting. The similarity in both his set-up and mechanics to Labuschagne, and the way Bumrah exploited them, would no doubt be a cause for concern for Australia’s selectors.Marnus Labuschagne walks off after another low score•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja’s diminishing returns have also slipped under the radar, registering scores of 33, 28, 16, 11, 8 and 4 in his last three Tests as he nears his 38th birthday. But he has been Australia’s most consistent player in the last three years.Travis Head’s fluent 89 in the fourth innings in Perth, combined with some positive signs from Mitchell Marsh in making 47, further highlighted the importance of the top four giving them a platform.But while Marsh looked in good touch with the bat, his physical conditioning is a major concern with the ball. He has pulled up sore after bowling just 17 overs, the most he has bowled in any game of cricket over the last three years. He sent down an excellent spell on day one but his overs on day two and three were laboured and put pressure back on Australia’s fast bowlers to carry the load. He is set to be monitored over the next 10 days.Travis Head provided some encouragement on the fourth day in Perth•Getty Images”He’s battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour,” Cummins said. “The main thing is he’s in there as one of the top six batters in the country and bowling is a bonus. He was a little bit sore towards the end of this Test match. Again, in the next 10 days, a chance to freshen up and try and get it right. We’ll see how he goes. Ideally, he would be able to bowl in each Test match.”Cummins was typically pragmatic after just the second home loss of his captaincy career, albeit coming in consecutive matches after the narrow eight-run defeat by West Indies in Brisbane. But he was aware that there would be a lot of introspection leading into Adelaide to try and find a way back into the series.”You sit in the changeroom after a loss like that, and it hurts,” Cummins said. “When a team declares on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations before. It’s the nature of professional sport, you’re going to lose some games.”The most important thing is how do you bounce back? What’s your next move? That’s what we’ve got to do this week. Clearly we were well off the mark. There’s a lot to work on. The most important thing is there’s four Test matches to come.”
AC Milan have stepped up their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski, scheduling a new round of talks with his agent Pini Zahavi as the Barcelona striker weighs his future as his contract nears its end. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic pushing internally to bring the 37-year-old to San Siro and Milan rebuilding under Max Allegri, the Rossoneri sense an opening, but salary demands remain a major hurdle.
Superchargers join Invincibles on 20 points, both vying for direct qualification to the final
ECB Media23-Aug-2025Northern Superchargers 198 for 4 (Brook 56, Crawley 49) beat Oval Invincibles 182 for 7 (Ferreira 41, Lawes 2-22) by 16 runsThe blockbuster tie at Headingley between the Hundred’s top two saw Northern Superchargers overcome the Oval Invincibles with a spectacular six-hitting blitz from Harry Brook and Zak Crawley.In a competition which has tended to favour teams who chase, the Superchargers bucked the trend, going hard immediately to set an ultimately insurmountable target. Crawley was irresistible, smacking three maximums and five fours in his 25-ball stay, only miscuing a Nathan Sowter legbreak to long-off with a fifty at his mercy.He dominated an opening stand of 76 with Dawid Malan, the two yet again complementing each other beautifully to careen to 49 from the Powerplay, before Brook took over the latter stages with another display of outrageous strokeplay, with a one-handed scythe for six over the deep-third boundary one of five sixes struck from his 27 balls at the crease.Brook tumbles across to scoop•ECB/Getty Images
Sowter was the pick of the Invincibles bowlers, going for just 29 from his 20, but the Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, were treated mercilessly, giving up 83 runs between them from just 35 balls.In reply, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye got off to a flyer, but when Jacks miscued a leg-side flick to be caught on the offside for an 11-ball 25, giving Jacob Duffy the first of his two wickets, the game shifted back to the home side.The combination of Jordan Cox, one of the breakout stars of this year’s competition, and Sam Curran briefly threatened another extraordinary heist. But when Cox was outfoxed by Tom Lawes to hole out in the deep for 24 and Curran edged Matthew Potts to Michael Pepper, the task became impossible. Even a violent 15-ball 41 from the big-hitting Donovan Ferreira was not enough.Tellingly, Ferreira’s four sixes made up half of the Invincibles’ total tally of maximums, against 14 struck by the Superchargers – which also featured a hat-trick of sixes from David Miller in the final set of five. In a game of monstrous hitting, the home side prevailed to take a statement win.”I thought the boys batted beautifully on a good pitch with a fast outfield, and to get a score near enough to 200 was the perfect start to the first innings,” Brook said. “I’m not one – and the team isn’t one – for searching for scores, we assess the conditions as quick as possible and try and communicate off the field what we think is the best score.”I thought our bowlers did a great job there. We were a bit unlucky at times, but they toiled really well there. It’s a beautiful win tonight and we’re happy with the momentum we can take into the next game.”